Hand brake for use by sheet metal workers and the like



S. W. TROUT May 3, 1966 HAND BRAKE FOR USE BY SHEET METAL WORKERS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 7, 1963 INVENTOR Jomu A/ 7501/7 United States Patent 3,248,921 HAND BRAKE FOR USE BY SHEET METAL WORKERS AND THE LIKE Samuel W. Trout, 30 Poncetta Drive, Daly City, Calif. Filed Jan. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 249,663 4 Claims. (Cl. 72-319) This invention relates to the metal working industry, and more particularly to a hand tool in the form of a brake for use by sheet metal workers and the like.

Sheet metal workers are continually forced to improvise special hand tools for use on the job as this is one field of endeavor that has seen little progress in the way of new labor and time saving tools for the man who does the actual sheet metal work. This is particularly true of that branch of sheet metal workers that are called upon to make strap hangers for the supporting of pipes and the like from ceilings, since no satisfactory tool is, at the present time, available for purchase in hardware stores.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a hand brake for use by sheet metal workers and the like that will effectively bend a strap from sheet metal in a minimum of time and with little effort on the part of its user.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hand brake for use by sheet metal workers and the like that is a small hand took which can readily be carried in ones tool box when not in actual use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hand brake for use by sheet metal workers and the like that can be manufactured and retailed at a price which is attractive to every sheet metal worker who may have need for this kind of tool.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hand brake for use by sheet metal workers and the like that will produce any number of strap hangers, all of which will have the identical angle of bend, thereby permitting a long length of pipe to be hung neatly in line under a ceiling.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a hand brake for use by sheet metal workers and the like that can be used by even the most inexperienced worker in the sheet metal handling art.

Other and further objects and advantages of this hand brake for use by sheet metal workers and the like will be hereinafter described, and the novel features thereof defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the tool in a bendcompleted position.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the tool as seen from the left end of FIG. 1 and showing in phantom the position of the handles before bending.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tool.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a typical strap hanger formed with the tool.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawing in detail, there is generally indicated by the character 9, a first rectangular handle having a hinge secured in part to the rectangular surface 11 of the aforesaid handle 9. The

second part 12 of the hinge 10 is secured to a first rectangular holder 13 while a second holder 14 of the same area as that of the aforesaid rectangular holder 13 is secured to the end of handle 9 by any suitable means. One end of the second holder 14 is provided with a bevel 16, in order to permit the strap 26 to be bent around the sharp edge at the lower end of second holder 14. One member 18 of the hinge 19 is secured to one edge 20 of the aforesaid rectangular holder 13, while the other member 21 of the same hinge 19 is secured to one rectangular edge 22 of the second mentioned handle 17, while a like hinge has its members likewise secured to that edge of the rectangular holder 13 that is opposite that of the already mentioned hinge 19 as is clearly shown in FIG. 2. A stop block 24 is suitably secured to or made integral with the surface 25 of the second handle 17 for locating the strip of metal that will be bent into a right angle hanger 26 (FIGURE 4).

In using the tool, handle 17 is pivoted about hinge 19 to the position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 2. In this position, handle 17 is aligned with holder 13. Handle 9 is then pivoted about hinge 10 to the position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 2. This movement is ninety degrees or less but enough to move second holder 14 away from rectangular holder 13. A piece of straight strap metal is then placed with one end against stop block 24 and with one surface against holder 13 and handle 17. Handle 9 is then moved back to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, which is also the position shown in full lines in FIG. 2. In this position of handle 9, the holders 13 and 14 contact strap 26 and hold it in place. Handle 17 is now pivoted to the position shown in full lines in FIGURE 2, also shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. This bends the strap metal to the shape shown in FIG. 4. Handle 9 can then be pivoted to the position shown in phantom in FIG. 2 and the finished stra-p hanger removed.

This invention is naturally made of metal and may be constructed from any number of pieces properly secured together or it may be forgings hinged together. It can, of course, be of any desired size. The stop 24 may be of the adjustable type if so desired, as indicated in FIG. 3 of the drawings.

Having now described my invention and the manner in which the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tool of the character described, comprising, a first substantially rectangular holder having a flat face, sides, and ends, a second holder having a second mentioned flat face normally substantially in contact with said first mentioned flat face, said first and second holder constituting a non-deforming workpiece clamp, said second holder having a third mentioned flat face substantially opposite said second mentioned flat face, a first elongated handle secured to said third mentioned face and extending substantially at right angles to said second mentioned flat face, a first hinge means securing said second holder and first handle to said first holder and permitting pivotal movement of said second holder and first handle about one edge of said first holder, a second elongated handle, which is substantially rectangular in cross-section and has a square end, which handle is normally aligned with said first holder with the square end substantially in contact with one end of the first holder,

hinge means securing the second handle to the first holder and permitting the second handle to be pivoted to a position in which one side of the second handle is substantially at right angles to the first mentioned flat face.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the said second mentioned flat face is substantially rectangular and said first mentioned and second mentioned flat faces are of substantially the same area.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which a stop block is secured to said one side of the second handle.

4. The combination of claim 1 in which a stop block is adjustably secured to said one side of said second handle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 313,459 3/1885 Urbahn 153-16 896,207 8/1908 Hazen 153-15 1,527,547 2/1925 Goeler 72-319 1,889,239 11/1932 Crowley 81-15 X 2,268,628 1/1942 Siuszko 81-15 X CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Examiner.

M. BALAS, R. D. GREFE, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A TOOL FOR THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COMPRISING, A FIRST SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR HOLDER HAVING A FLAT FACE, SIDES, AND ENDS, A SECOND HOLDER HAVING A SECOND MENTIONED FLAT FACE NORMALLY SUBSTANTIALLY IN CONTACT WITH SAID FIRST MENTIONED FLAT FACE, SAID FIRST AND SECOND HOLDER CONSTITUTING A NON-DEFORMING WORKPIECE CLAMP, SAID SECOND HOLDER HAVING A THIRD MENTIONED FLAT FACE SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITE SAID SECOND MENTIONED FLAT FACE, A FIRST ELONGATED HANDLE SECURED TO SAID THIRD MENTIONED FACE AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID SECOND MENTIONED FLAT FACE, A FIRST HINGE MEANS SECURING SAID SECOND HOLDER AND FIRST HANDLE TO SAID FIRST HOLDER AND PERMITTING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND HOLDER AND FIRST HANDLE ABOUT ONE EDGE OF SAID FIRST HOLDER, A SECOND ELONGATED HANDLE, WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR IN CROSS-SECTION AND HAS A SQUARE END, WHICH HANDLE IS NORMALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID FIRST HOLDER WITH THE SQUARE END SUBSTANTIALLY IN CONTACT WITH ONE END OF THE FIRST HOLDER, HINGE MEANS SECURING THE SECOND HANDLE TO THE FIRST HOLDER AND PERMITTING THE SECOND HANDLE TO BE PIVOTED TO A POSITION IN WHICH ONE SIDE OF THE SECOND HANDLE IS SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE FIRST MENTIONED FLAT FACE. 